Richard Stowe welcomes those who attended the event. Lake Worth resident Alice McCall gives an overview of the "Dark Sky" movement and the potential harmful affects of uncontrolled nighttime lighting in cities. The gathering took place at St. Andrews Episcopal Church.

This project is designed to improve one of the more blighted sections of Riviera Beach. Click title for link.

The City of Riviera Beach is launching a $1.1 million improvement project for one of its most blighted neighborhoods.On Wednesday evening, the Board of the Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency approved a plan to build a community garden, a park, and to rebuild sidewalks throughout the Riviera Beach Heights community, which is along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. east of Australian Avenue.Both the garden and park will be built on derelict vacant lots. The park will start across the street from West Riviera Elementary School and extend through the neighborhood with a meandering path, palm trees and benches, before ending at MLK Blvd. and 8th Street. When finished, the entire neighborhood will also have new ADA compliant sidewalks.

David Barton will be at the Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach Gardens as he heals America of its ills! He does not consider himself one of them. He believes that the separation of church and state in the U.S. is a myth.

David Barton on the immigration debate, for example, says:“[…] it is God and not man who establishes the borders of nations. National boundaries are set by God. If God didn't want boundaries, he would have put everyone in the same world and there would have been no nations; we would have all been living together as one group and one people. That didn't happen. From the Tower of Babel, he sent them out with different languages, different cultures. God's the one who drew up the lines for the nations, so to say open borders is to say ‘God, you goofed it all up and when you had borders, you shouldn't have done it’ [...] And so, from a Christian standpoint, you cannot do that. God's the one who establishes the boundaries of nations.”Remember the meeting is this Saturday night, June 28th in the LobbyWear Patriotic clothing / 912 shirtAttempt to sit near each other CENTER RIGHT of the church.God bless America!!!Here's what our friendly Fire Ant has to say about this "author" and "scholar." The quote below is one of his more homophobic views:

“It is resistance to insanity that is encapsu­lated in Monkeywrenching…(it) fits in with the bioregional concept. You go back to a place and you peacefully re-inhabit it. You learn about it. You become a part of the place. You develop an informal and al­ternative political and social struc­ture that is somehow apart from the sys­tem… it’s also a means of self-empowerment, of finding alternative means of relat­ing to other people, and other life forms…there is a funda­mental difference between ecodefense resistance and classic revolutionary or terrorist behavior.”

Friday, June 27, 2014

A ten year fight comes to an end with the County Commission approving residential development on the former Mizner Trail golf course in western Boca Raton area. One wonders what will eventually happen with the Sunset property in Lake Worth that has been debated and mediated for about the same length of time. How much has this issue cost the city of Lake Worth to defend and mediate over that time? Will those against any change ask to get their attorney fees paid? Will they ever settle for anything? One of the antagonists in this drama does not even pay city taxes.

Click title for link to article. Here is the summary:

A community of homes and townhouses can rise on a defunct golf course west of Boca Raton, Palm Beach County commissioners agreed Thursday, ending nearly a decade-long debate over whether development should be allowed on former greens.
After a five-hour public hearing, the commission voted 5-2 to allow 253 residences — 115 zero-lot-line homes, 45 town houses, 92 multifamily units and a six-bed congregate living facility — on the 127-acre course west of Interstate 95 and south of Palmetto Park Road.
Commissioners Steven Abrams and Jess Santamaria voted against the project.

Aerial from Property Appraiser's website with the Sunset property highlighted. Note its proximity to John Prince Park to the west and dense Murry Hills that surrounds the property on three sides.

The Architectural Review Commission (ARCOM) reviews all plans for new construction for properties that do not have a historic landmark designation in the Town of Palm Beach. For those with individually landmarked properties, they go to the Landmarks Preservation Commission. There are limits to terms on each, but you usually see the same characters popping up on the other once they are term-limited on the other. It's sort of a "round robin" affair. While the Landmarks Preservation Commission, relies on the Secretary of Interior Standards for Historic Preservation, they can still be subjective in their decisions. ARCOM is basing this denial on how, according to their code, there cannot be any structure "excessively dissimilar" within 200 feet of another.

The owner has a few things to say about the board's actions. He is not happy and will likely appeal the denial to the Town Council. You might remember that the Town Council just repopulated these two boards after failure of the PUD 5 zoning referendum. Click title for link.

“This makes me feel very discriminated against,” Thomsen said. “I simply ask that I can build my home on my land.”
After two hours of discussion, Town Attorney John Randolph recommended the commission defer the project to next month when a second registered architect should join the board. The commission is supposed to have two registered architects, but the town has been looking for a replacement for architect Nikita Zukov since May, when he joined the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Instead, members unanimously voted to deny the project.
Thomsen said he plans to appeal the “sham proceeding” to the Town Council.
“After seven years of living in Moscow, I’ve never seen greater abuse of government power and discrimination than what I witnessed today,” Thomsen said. “Democracy in ARCOM in the Town of Palm Beach is nonexistent.”

Miami-Dade schools prepare for the latest wave of immigrants. This time it is what they are terming "unaccompanied children." These are children that are from Central America, fleeing conditions in their own country and being allowed to cross into the U.S. Click title for the Channel 4 Miami story with video.

“We have received about 300 students from Honduras over the past few months so recognizing the challenge, that crisis, we’re asking federal got to intervene,” said Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.Carvalho asked the board for support to request funds from the federal government for those children, known as unaccompanied children immigrants, primarily from Central America to cover their costs in school.The board will request $1,950 per year per child in addition to what the state already puts in.Local representatives are in full support of the move.“I think we’ve seen this before .. with the rafter crisis and Haitian community.. another wave where we having a wave of immigrants and the super is doing the right thing,” said State Representative Manny Diaz.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

One more example of the cleavage in the Republican party. Here an incumbent Senator narrowly beats a Tea Party opponent who was favored to win. But, it turns out that his past caught up with him and was used against him. Click title for link.

The mailer asserted that McDaniel "made racist comments on his radio show." It was a point Cochran's campaign had been hammering for months, seemingly without affecting a sufficient number of white Republican primary voters. As a right-wing radio host in the 2000s, McDaniel had blamed hip-hop for gun violence. He had mocked poor blacks for craving "big screen plasma TV's, Randy Moss jerseys, Air Jordan sneakers, or any type of 'bling-bling.'" He had decried discussion of reparations for slavery—pledging to move to Mexico, if such a law were ever passed. He also had spoken at events held by a neo-Confederate group that bashed Abraham Lincoln and celebrated secession. His incendiary comments, some of which were first reported by Mother Jones, gave Cochran a bona fide reason to ask African American voters, who comprise 36 percent of the state's electorate, to keep McDaniel far from Washington's halls of power.

No party at Pinkie's place tonight over this news. These population trends point to further Democratic party gains in Florida. Click title for link. From the article:

Mimicking a national trend, Hispanics are becoming a larger part of the Palm Beach County and Florida population, new U.S. Census figures show.As of July 2013, Hispanics made up 20 percent of the county population, up from 19 percent three years earlier. The percentage of the county population counting itself as white dropped to 58 percent from 60 percent over the same period.If the pace continues, whites will cease accounting for a majority of the Palm Beach County population by 2022. As recently as the 2000 Census, whites accounted for 70.6 of all Palm Beach County residents.[later in article]Hispanics came to particular prominence as voters in 2012, when about 71 percent voted for Barack Obama, a Pew analysis of exit polls found. That year, Hispanics made up 10 percent of the electorate, up 1 percentage point from 2008 and 2 percentage points from 2004. Over the next 15 years, the research center estimates Hispanics will account for 40 percent of the growth of the electorate.

Claims of "diverse tatics." This proudly proclaimed from the EF! website. Scarcely know what to say. So, I will let them do the talking. Click title for link. Here is a sample:

We spiked the trees in the Briger Forest.With anger and love we hiked through this southeastern Florida forest and threw 6” nails into the gears of the capitalist death wish. The spikes were driven into countless trees in the areas of Briger already bought and sold for destruction. Slash pines, scrub oaks, saw palmettos, cabbage palms, even invasive melaleuca and Australian pines. Some spiked high, some low—some visible, many hidden. We left nothing safe to cut. Signs were hung near the edges of the forest as a warning to would-be forest levelers:“THESE TREES ARE SPIKED – WILL DAMAGE MACHINERY. F*CK ALTON. <3: YOUR ENEMIES”

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Very interesting comparison of water and sewer rates among other Palm Beach County municipal utilities. Our reverse osmosis plant makes our water more expensive than most, but sewer is less than most which puts us overall in about the middle of the pack.

Larry Johnson - Water/Sewer Utilities Director finishes up his presentation. Commissioner Szerdi asks some important questions about our water supply and how it compares with the stability and quality of neighboring communities. That is at the beginning of this video. At about the 10 minute mark, Commissioner McVoy observes that the water department has taken into account the affects of sea level rise on our water supply. Later on, Doug Wood, Finance Director presents the water, sewer and regional sewer budget picture and towards the end we get a water rate analysis with and without the LW 2020 Plan.

The Town of Palm Beach has been on lock down since early yesterday morning. A car suspected of being one owned by a Miami murder victim was found ditched near the Breakers hotel. The town issued a "stay inside" order yesterday and the hunt for the persons involved continues. Click title for link to video from this morning's Channel 5 newscast.

A favorite local hangout for some will be disappearing to make way for the Riviera Beach redevelopment of its marina. Click title for link to article.

Tiki Waterfront Sea Grill in Riviera Beach is set to close on Sunday, July 6, to make way for a redevelopment project that is expected to transform the Riviera Beach marina over the next 10 years.Ground was broken in April on the $375 million, 26-acre mixed-use development project.Scott Evans, the director of planning and redevelopment for Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, said because of the demolition planned at the marina the outdoor restaurant must close.“As soon Tiki closes their doors, we’re going to do complete demolition,” Evans said Monday. “The biggest issue we had was how to keep them open while the site is going through massive construction. It would be unsafe. That’s why Tiki has to close.”

This is not the sort of headline you want to see. Project officials with the Army Corps say that the work must continue. Marine experts are concerned about the extent of the loss of coral, some of which could provide clues on adaptation to climate change. Click title for link.

While Illinois-based dredging contractor Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, which was hired to carry out the $205 million project [Port of Miami dredging of Government Cut], has relocated about 900 endangered and larger coral to an artificial reef as was required before dredging could begin, scientists say environmental studies underestimated the number and value of the coral living in the channel. Engineers, however, say delaying the project, which began over the weekend, would cost too much money."Taxpayers would be paying $50,000 to $100,000 a day to keep that dredge on standby and that's not happening," Susan Jackson, a spokesperson for the corps, told Reuters.The dredge work will erase about seven acres of reef, including five untouched acres at the mouth of the channel.

Details emerge from the bond prospectus issued by All Aboard Florida. These details, which the company fought to keep private, include information on the cost of the three stations in West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. That leg will be the first completed, with the West Palm Beach - Orlando portion to come on later. From the article, click title for link.

The City of West Palm Beach is expecting to see designs for All Aboard Florida’s station in mid-July, and is still negotiating such features as pedestrian bridges over Datura and Evernia streets, which will be closed when the station is built.At $29 million, the West Palm Beach station is the least expensive of the three. All Aboard Florida expects to spend $30 million on its Fort Lauderdale station and $150 million in Miami.As comparisons, the 152-unit Residence Inn in downtown West Palm Beach is costing about $30 million to build. The Palm Beach County Convention Center Hotel’s construction costs are estimated at $110 million.“This is taking our city to the next level,” said Lisa McKeon, a broker associate with Lang Realty’s downtown office. “If you want to be a big city, you have to go along with the times.”

From the official website of the British Monarchy: "Every June, the Knights of the Garter gather at Windsor Castle, where new knights take the oath and are invested with the insignia. A lunch is given in the Waterloo Chamber, after which the knights process to a service in St George's Chapel, wearing their blue velvet robes (with the badge of the Order - St George's Cross within the Garter surrounded by radiating silver beams - on the left shoulder) and black velvet hats with white plumes. The Queen (whose father George VI appointed her and her husband to the Order in 1947) attends the service as Sovereign of the Order. Other members of the Royal Family in the Order also attend, including The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Princess Royal."Click here for more details.

Hypocrisy and double standards: Are they part of the human condition? Click title for link.

One of Greenpeace’s most senior executives commutes 250 miles to work by plane, despite the environmental group’s campaign to curb air travel, it has emerged.Pascal Husting, Greenpeace International’s international programme director, said he began "commuting between Luxembourg and Amsterdam" when he took the job in 2012 and currently made the round trip about twice a month.The flights, at 250 euros for a round trip, are funded by Greenpeace, despite its campaign to curb "the growth in aviation", which it says "is ruining our chances of stopping dangerous climate change”.

FPL’s typical customer electric bill remains the lowest in Florida for the fifth straight year

FPL low bill continues to be one of the state’s greatest economic development tools in attracting new business and creating jobs

A major contributor to low customer rates is FPL’s strategy of investing in highly efficient power plants that run on clean, American-produced natural gas. FPL has systematically reduced by 99 percent its use of foreign oil to generate electricity– from more than 40 million barrels a year in 2001 to about 200,000 last year.

These investments have saved customers more than $6.5 billion in fuel costs with more savings expected. FPL’s Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center in Palm Beach County, which officially entered commercial service today, is the latest example of the company’s efforts to modernize its power plant fleet. FPL invested $1.3 billion to build the plant on the Port of Palm Beach site where a 1960s-era, oil-fired plant stood until it was dismantled in 2011. Construction was completed under budget and two months ahead of schedule.

“During the past four years, we’ve witnessed a remarkable rebound in Florida’s economy, particularly in the area of job growth,” said Silagy [Eric Silagy, president of FPL]. “FPL remains committed to helping grow Florida’s economy and ensuring our state continues to be one of the most attractive and affordable places in the country to live and run a business.”

Click title for link to more about FPL and their "beating hearts of development."

Police Officials are searching for a person who is considered armed and dangerous: Police are asking everyone to remain in their residences until further notice. If you see anything suspicious you are asked to call 9-1-1

Here is the story he shared with me. Larry received an anonymous tip about an “action” in Bryant Park this last weekend but not much more than that. So he and his friend Brandon D rode through the park at intervals to get some pictures. On Sunday they got the story.

Larry and Brandon just walked up and blended in with the crowd. Brandon even grabbed one of the signs. It wasn't an action after all but a training camp for an action to follow protesting the Lake Worth 2020 Plan. No one seemed to know the date or place of the upcoming protest but the trainers emphasized the importance of readiness and coordination.

The trainer taught these points: The signs would be hidden in the bushes prior to the action; proceed to the site in small groups of three from different directions; no flamboyant clothes, and no hats! The only person wearing a hat would be the coordinator; do not engage the public and do not under any circumstances engage the deputies; keep your hands out in the open; most importantly don't give the Sheriff any reason to arrest you.

Just when they were going to practice the 'chant' two fellas in beards and dark clothes rode up in bikes and recognized Larry right off. All hell broke loose and Larry was jostled and roughed up by what he called, “animals.” A touchy situation indeed.

It was a miracle that two Pirates were close by and saw Larry being attacked. One Pirate rushed the mob yelling, “Aaarrrggghhh! Back off you bilge sucking slime! Let loose that blue man or I'll cleave you to the brisket you scurvy dogs and keelhaul what's left of you, you Sons of a Biscuit Eaters!” Or words to that effect.

But Larry got the scoop! He's a tough one when he gets his teeth in a story. Larry is a little bruised but he'll be just fine.

Strong letter from a Jupiter resident reminding us that All Aboard Florida's financial information is private. He uses an interesting analogy. Click title for link.

Let’s try to put this in more familiar terms. If you go to the bank and apply for an FHA mortgage, who do you give your tax documents to? You give them to the bank, and the loan officers review them. Can the neighbors next door to the house you’re trying to buy sue the bank to get your tax records because they don’t like you? No, they can’t. The information in your financial data is not their business. It doesn’t matter that you’re applying for a loan from the U.S. government, nor that your property will be next to theirs.The business plans for All Aboard Florida are not public records, plain and simple. That doesn’t mean that those who need to see them can’t. It only means that you and I can’t see them. If you believe differently, than please provide better logic than I’ve provided above.

West Palm Beach's DDA is showing off its renovated building in which it resides, along with other quality tenants. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and was originally Hatch's department store, then Burdines, then other uses. I remember it as largely vacant, but for the first floor retail, when I worked in downtown WPB. Click title for link.

These beach renourishment projects are having a difficult time finding sand, and with that costs increase. Keep in mind that a renourished beach has a life of maybe three years. There will come a time when it will be cost prohibitive to keep this up. Click title for link.

Bids for the Carlin Park program came in much higher than expected – ranging from $23 million to $27 million. “That’s almost double what we’d hoped for,’’ said Dan Bates, deputy director for the Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management office.The problem, Bates said, is that the “borrow area,’’ in about 75 feet of water a half mile off shore from Singer Island, contains sand with rocks that need to screened out, a process that drives up the costs.Now, the county is considering a cheaper option — to mine inland sand from St. Lucie County and truck it to Carlin Park, where the beach stretches for roughly one mile south from the Jupiter Inlet.“We are taking ancient beach sand and taking it out to the present beach,’’ Bates said.

Lake Worth Utilities is the second lowest consumer of water on a per person per day rate at 98 gallons, compared to other water utilities in Palm Beach County. The article notes that part of the reason for that may lie in the fact that we have mostly residential land uses and not a lot of commercial and industrial uses. This also affects our taxable property value. Redevelopment along Dixie Hwy. and getting the Park of Commerce on line might change these numbers. Click title for link.

[And,] according to Boynton Beach Utilities Department Director Colin Groff, that’s one of the ways Boynton Beach’s residents have been able to land in the top five — behind Palm Springs, Lake Worth Utilities and Wellington — in using the least amount of gallons of water a day in Palm Beach County. Residents in Boca Raton, Highland Beach and Manalapan use the most, according to the South Florida Water Management District.“We are pretty low compared to most of the (communities),” Groff said. But, “we’ll have a goal of less than that.”Boynton Beach uses an average of 131 gallons of water per person a day, according to the water management district’s Lower East Coast Water Supply Plan. The plan was released in 2013 and is based on 2010 numbers. The county’s average is 166 gallons, which is less than other municipalities including Jupiter, Riviera Beach, Delray Beach, West Palm Beach and Tequesta.

The issue that won't go away land in the County Commission's lap again this Thursday. What is there now, nobody is happy about. We'll see what happens this time. Click title for link to the Sun Sentinel article.

George W. Bush was president, "Grey's Anatomy" debuted on TV and Hurricane Wilma knocked out power across South Florida.That was 2005 and that's how long it has been since the Mizner Trail Golf Course nearBoca Raton closed and triggered lingering uncertainty over what to do with the land.Developers have pushed for building houses on the 130 acres of overgrown fairways and putting greens that wind through the Boca Del Mar neighborhood.But a large contingent of nearby residents instead wants to protect the golf course views and open spaces they thought would remain forever.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Reason to worry? Time to explain the 'threat' of sea level rise in the 2020 debate
On June 20, 2014, Steve "Fire Ant" Ellman wrote a story in the Broward New Times in a clear attempt to bolster the argument against the Lake Worth 2020 bond issue. Commissioner Christopher McVoy and ex-Commissioner JoAnn Golden warned, at a public meeting, that spending money on infrastructure improvements was unwise taking into account the supposed imminent 'threat' of sea level rise.

Ellman is clearly using the bullet points Commissioner McVoy used from the commission dais opposing the bond issue: Sea Level Rise lawsuits, drainage problems, an insurance company "in Illinois," and other twisted logic to make his point.

Mr. Ellman in classic fashion begins his fiction with a quote: " 'Apres moi le deluge,' Madame de Pompadour supposedly said, shortly before the people of France rose up and removed her head: 'After me, the flood.' "

Possibly Mr. Ellman had two or more stories going at the same time and got the opening pull quotes mixed up

Anyway, Ellman goes onto say in a burst of lucidity, "South Florida's coastal cities are beginning to say the same. But one hopes there will be better results. They're recognizing that climate change is for real, that sea level rise will follow, and that precautions are in order."

The Lake Worth 2020 bond issue up for a vote this August has nothing at all to do with coastal protection. Most of the infrastructure improvements will occur at least one mile from the beach. For some reference, the Lucerne building on Lake Ave in Lake Worth is at 18 feet above sea level. Most areas west of Dixie average 19 feet above sea level. Commissioner McVoy lives in one of the highest elevations in the city.

Let's do the math:
3 Millimeter each year times 30 years = 90 mm
90 Millimeter converted to inches = 3.5 inches

And it is quite germane to point out that Mr. Ellman is not a reporter making independent observations from Broward County. It is customary for reporters to inform the reader of pertinent facts such as these. But then again we are referring to the 'Fire Ant' and for this reporter facts are merely inconvenient truths.

Also interesting to note are the massive beach renourishment projects in Broward and Miami Dade counties. FPL will be building two new nuclear power plants at Turkey Point. Miami also has several major projects being built.

In another example of clear instructions from the city, we are advised "Cash Only Please" under a sign that says "No Checks under $100."

These are the current pool times. Sally Welsh's water exercise classes are Thursdays at 8:15 a.m., Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10 a.m. You sign in at this booth at the pool entrance, tell them you are here for the exercise class and they will give you an orange pass that says "WATER AEROBICS." You also give them your name. Then, you need to sign in with Sally Welsh and give her $5 - no resident discount, which is no big deal. She now has to rent two entire lanes for $15 each. So, if she has more than 6 students, she is in the black. The classes have been about 20 or so people. But be sure to sign in twice.

Here are the Summer season pass rates:

I guess if you are the Brady Bunch, you would get the "Unlimited Family Member" option. Over that 12 week period, you would have to go to the pool at least three times a week for this to pay for itself at the Lake Worth single resident rate. And this pass stays at the same rate and isn't prorated. It costs the same June 22nd as it would August 15th. I don't think they will be selling many of these. But, apparently, you can write a check for these.

This is a worthy idea. The history of the local African-American population is important and this village concept has a lot of appeal. It seems that people have recognized and it may evolve to be. Click title for link for an Eliot Kleinberg article about the idea.